Heart's Longing
by Altril
Summary: The first meeting of Celebrían and Elrond. Two hearts that are hurting for separate reasons. Will they ever be able to find their heart's longing?
1. Time Line

Time Line for the story _Heart's Longing_

**A/N:** I am attempting to keep this story within the cannon as much as possible, but as many of you know Tolkien did not always complete his work. For me, as an author, this can get confusing so please forgive me for any flubs I know will occur in this fic. Remember, I'm not Tolkien so don't expect perfection!

**First Age**

Year 532 Elrond and Elros are born

Elrond and Elros are 58 at the end of the first age

**Second Age**

Year 442 Elros dies

Elros is 500 at the time of his death

Year 1088 Celebrían is born in _Ost-in-Edhil_ (it is said that she was born sometime before 1091 so I took poetic license and subtracted a few years.

Elrond is 1146 by the time Celebrían is born

Year 1350 Galadriel, Celeborn and Celebrían move to Lothlórien

Celebrían is 262 when her parents move to Lorien

Year 1697 (1700 by some references) Imladris -Rivendell- is established

Elrond is 1755 and Celebrían is 609

Year 2251 First sighting of Ringwraiths

Imladris has been established for 554 years

Celebrían is 1163 and Elrond is 2309 at the time of the meeting in this story

Year 3430 Last Alliance

Year 3441 Second Age comes to an end

Celebrían is 2353years old at the end of the Second Age

Elrond is 3499 years old at the end of the Second Age

**Third Age**

Year 109 Elrond and Celebrían wed

Elrond is 3605 at the time of his wedding

Celebrían is 2462 at the time of her wedding

Year 130 Elladan and Elrohir are born

Elrond is 3626 and Celebrían is 2473 at the time the twins are born

Year 241 Arwen is born

Elrond is 3727 and Celebrían is 2584 when Arwen is born

Year 2509 Celebrían is captured and tortured by Orcs. She is 4852 at this time.


	2. Silver Tears

Have you ever felt utterly alone and forsaken by one and by all? This was the feeling that the daughter of the Celeborn and Galadriel of Laurelindórinan was experiencing at the moment. Unlike the other young _ellith_ her age Celebrían did not care to pursue any particular _ellyn_ and would have been content to curl up under the expanse of a mallorn tree and read or write any little thought that came into her head. It wasn't that Celebrían shunned the companionship of her age-mates, but she had grown and matured beyond her years and surpassed the other _ellith_ and _ellyn_ her age in wisdom. All the other young people of Lorien seemed more interested in flirting and gossiping instead of making friendships that would benefit them in the many years to come. 

Celebrían sighed as she replaced her quill near the inkwell. The verse she had been working on the past few hours did not seem to flow the way it had been intended and Celebrían was frustrated by her own lack of concentration. What was wrong with her? She rolled onto her back and stared up into the leaves and pondered the question. None of the other _ellith_ that she had been friends with as a small child were interested in her friendship beyond what she could give them as the daughter of a lord and lady, who were in favor with Amroth- king of Laurelindórinan. It was frustrating and futile to try to engage in a serious conversation with any of them and it tormented Celebrían to no end. When had her age-mates become so stupid and superficial?

A lone tear left a path of silver as it meandered its way down Celebrían cheek. She didn't fault her parents for being too busy to notice that she was different from the other _ellith_ her age - after all they did have political aspirations and her mother was counted as one of the wise – but she would have liked to have her mother advice. In all the books Celebrían read the heroines always had a confident in whom they could divulge all their secret dreams and longings. It was Celebrían fondest dream to have a best friend to share everything with and have no shame, but it was not to be. Alone and rejected (in private) by all her peers the only daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel sent heartfelt prayers to Eru to send her someone. Male of female it did not matter, Celebrían was in desperate need of a friend.

A breeze rustled the leaves around the _flet _and shook Celebrían out of her reverie. Dusk was stealing across the Golden Realm and soon dinner would be served. Mindful of her appearance Celebrían carefully extricated herself from the _talan_ and flitted between the trees and the twilight deepened the shadows. Evening was her favorite time of day as the darkness came and bathed everything in silver shadows, it was magical in its own simplistic way.

With grace born only to the eldar Celebrían was able to delicately slip into her chair and avoid the immediate detection by her parents. Being tardy for the evening meal was not looked upon with smiles of indulgence as it once had been with Celebrían was barely passed her maturity. Officially come of age she was expect to conduct herself at all times in a manner befitting a lady of her position.

Deftly Celebrían served herself as her parents engaged each other with some important matter that had occurred during the course of the day, or maybe several days ago- Celebrían did not care much for the trivial matters of diplomacy which she had been forced to study during her growing up years.

"Celebrían." With a startled jerk Celebrían's head shot upwards. "What world were you wandering around in?" Her mother gently smiled in her direction. "Your father has been trying to ask you a question for several minutes now."

A blush crept across her alabaster cheeks as Celebrían looked suitably chagrined. "I apologize, Ada."

Lord Celeborn had to work extremely hard to keep from smiling at his daughter's antics, and although the smile was kept off his lips the twinkle in his eye flashed as he risked a glance in his wife's direction. "I asked you what you would think of taking a holiday in Imladris during the spring and summer. Your mother and I have been invited by Lord Elrond. We believe that it is time you were exposed to an alternative elvish culture. The Gold Wood is far too secluded and sheltered for you to gain experience of the world."

During her father's speech Celebrían's eyes had been growing wider and wider and the hint of a smile had begin to transform into a full fledge grin that covered her face by the time Celeborn had finished speaking. "Imladris? When do we go? What should I pack? Who will be here? How long are we staying-"

Galadriel gave her daughter an indulgent smile as she gently broke in. "One question at a time, daughter. I'm sure your father will be more than happy to explain it in detail. We will be setting forth to Imladris in four weeks." The light that shone from Celebrían's eyes proved that Galadriel had made the right decision in requesting that Celebrían be allowed to travel with them. Although the Golden Lady may not have had much time to devote to her daughter it did not mean that she was unaware of the troubles that Celebrían dealt with. A change of climate and scenery would do the young _ellith_ a world of good.

"This will not just be a holiday," said Celeborn. "Remember that you are a representative of Laurelindórinan and as such you must-"

"Conduct yourself in a manner befitting of someone of your position," mimicked Celebrían with uncanny accuracy.

Unable to contain himself Celeborn let loose a hearty laugh and bestowed a smile on his precious child. "I forget that you are such a wise and mature _elleth_, you must forgive your ada for treating you as a elfling."

"Oh, I don't mind, Ada. It serves to remind me that I'm loved." Parents always have the ability to sense when something is wrong with their children, but father's don't always have the best timing and just as Celeborn was about to ask Celebrían what trouble her so his wife's long fingers pinched him from under the table. Celebrían laughed at her father's comical face and tried to keep her emotions in reign for the rest of the evening until she retired.

As Celebrían readied herself for bed she looked out on Laurelindórinan and thought about Ost-in-Edhil, where she had been born. She had only lived there for 262 years, but even so Lorien had never really felt like _home. _Celebrían wondered she had stopped feeling as if she belonged to the land. Had the land changed or was the change within Celebrían herself? A crushing feeling came upon her as she looked out on the familiar scene that had greeted her for the past nine centuries. It saddened her that Lorien could no longer fulfill the desire within her heart. It would be good to go to Imladris.

"Eru," she whispered to the sky, "please give me a friend. Someone I can talk to, someone who will understand me. It is hard, you know, to be alone. Yes, I have my parents but sometimes it just is not enough, and it is so difficult to keep all my dreams to myself. If it is your will let there be a special friend for me in Imladris." Isil's rays reflected off of Celebrían's silver hair as she knelt and poured out her supplications to the heaven's.

Many hundreds of miles away a lone elf leaned on the railing of his balcony that overlooked the famed gardens of Imladris. It had been a normal day of reviewing records, planning for the fast approaching spring and preparing for visitors who would be arriving in a little over a month. The mountains of paperwork had never seemed more tedious for Elrond than they had that day. Normally he could focus on the task at hand and diminish the clutter on his desk by the end of the day, but it was not to be.

A sense of longing and helplessness descended upon him. Elros had died that same day, albeit many years in the past, but there was a part of Elrond that died a little more every year since his brother's passing. Friends, oh yes, the master of Rivendell had friends aplenty, but even though his two closest advisors, Glorfindel and Erestor, were also good friends there was nothing that could replace the kinship he had shared with his brother.

Eärendil shone especially brightly as if to somehow sympathize with Elrond. "Why?" It was nothing more than a whisper swept away by the gently blowing wind, but the word resonated within every fiber of Elrond's being. "Eru, why? I loved him so much. Was I not enough for him?" A fist slammed down on the rail as Elrond's normally clear, grey eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "There is no one. _No one, _who understands how I feel." The tears retreated as a cold look crept into Elrond's eyes. "Alone." Even when he had been held by the sons of Fëanor he had never felt so helpless and alone, for at least then he had been able to find comfort in the form of Elros. Now he was a drift in a sea of loneliness while surrounded by hundreds.

The days seemed to slow to a sluggish crawl for Celebrían as she anticipated the day they would leave for Imladris, but if the days seemed unendingly long the weeks flew by with a speed previously unknown to Celebrían in her relatively short existence. Trunks were filled with all the necessary -or in some cases unnecessary- items and Celebrían's heart seemed to skip a beat anytime anyone mentioned the impending journey. The pallor that had been sinking into Celebrían's cheeks disappeared as a healthy, rosy glow replaced it.

Diplomacy and policy suddenly interested Celebrían and she read every bit of information she could gather on Imladris and the people thereof. Unwilling to seem uninformed she began to participate in the inner workings of the Golden Wood policy space and soon discovered that politics were far more fascinating that she had previously believed. This new interest please both Celeborn and Galadriel immensely as they fostered their daughter's new found passion and encouraged her to draw her own conclusions about the up coming trip.

Finally the day arrived when the cavalcade of elves departed from Caras Galadhon and one could not have hoped to find the Lady Celebrían in a higher mood. Seated on a placid mount, looking properly excited, but subdued she observed the proceedings. A security force of twenty armed elves would serve as protection during the journey, even though the road to Imladris was fairly well maintained there is always good cause to be cautious. It would take a fortnight to reach the elven city of Imladris a brisk, but not unnecessarily fast pace.

At first it was terribly exciting for Celebrían to see the "outside" world, but after a few days the romance of the venture began to wear off. Elves are lovers of all things beautiful and the untouched and pristine world that surrounded them that often elven voices would be raised in song praising the maker and the glory of the world around them. This served to break the monotony of the journey and before Celebrían knew it they were drawing near to Imladris.

"My Lord, Ladies," one of the elvish riders drew aside the royal family. With a curt nod Celeborn beckoned him to continue. "Over the next rise you will be able to see the valley of Imladris. We had planned to make camp for the night, but with your blessing we could easily make it into the valley and arrive this evening."

A quick glance between husband and wife communicated their feelings easily. "All right, Maethor, we will continue as you see fit."

With a slight inclination of the head Maethor quickly reigned in his mount and dispatched a rider to ride ahead and inform the residents of the valley that their long expected visitors would be arriving on the wings of the evening.

**Disclaimer:**I am a poor college student and cannot possibly hope to emulate Tolkien and so therefor own nothing of this.

**A/N**: I have gone back and tried to correct the various and sundry things that were so kindly pointed out to me in reviews. Still in serious need of a beta so if you have time and want to volunteer please let know. Also, the "First" chapter of this story now contains a time line of my creation so people won't get too lost. Thanks for reading and have a great holiday season! Altril


	3. An Unexpected Arrival

After spending two weeks on the trail Celebrían was beginning to feel the heaviness of spirit that she had been experiencing at home in Lothlórien. It had been nice to interact more often with her parents, but now all she wanted was a warm bath, real food and a soft bed. There still existed a tightening in Celebrían's lower abdomen when she dwelt on their impending arrival in Imladris.

A shot of excitement raced through Celebrían as she overheard her adar give Maethor a command to ride ahead to Imladris. Celebrían gave her mother a brilliant smile as Galadriel glanced toward her.

_You've made your daughter's day, _came Galadriel's voice to Celeborn through their link. _Though I'm not sure Elrond and his advisors will be quite as pleased._ Not giving dignity to the remark Celeborn did not bother to respond to his wife's subtle teasing, but Galadriel was able to pick up on the grumbling thoughts revolving around elflings being given charge of a realm.

"Is it not rather rude to ride in when it is almost dark, Ammë?" asked Celebrían innocently.

Galadriel exchanged a smile with her husband. "Would you like to spend another night sleeping on the ground when you know that there are warm beds right around the bend?" This argument did nothing to sway Celebrían's opinion. Seeing this Galadriel took things a step further, "Not to mention a hot bath."

At the mention of a bath Celebrían broke into a wide smile. It had been interesting living on the rode, but there were certain modern conveniences that she missed. "That does sound lovely." The words themselves were cheery, but there was a discordant note in her voice.

With subtle motions Galadriel maneuvered Celebrían and herself away from the main group of elves. "There is something bothering you, _yende_?"

A heartfelt sigh escaped Celebrían. "I- I was so excited about coming here, but now..." she trailed off into silence. Galadriel, aware of her daughter's mood, wisely remained silent until Celebrían began to speak again. "My age-mates at home think I am strange because I would prefer the company of a good book to giggling incessantly over the ellon who try their hardest to show off their skills." Blue eyes shone brighter than normal with the sparkle of unshed tears. "Am I strange because of that? What if no one in Imladris likes me because of my quirks?"

"There is no use borrowing trouble, for we all have enough troubles without inventing new ones of our own," was the sage advice of Galadriel.

Elrond was indulging in an after dinner stroll through the gardens. The day had been, what was lately the norm, very hectic. With the immersion of nine new servants of the dark lord Sauron, Elrond had been asked by Gil-Galad, the High King, to host a convention of Elves. This council would decide what the best course of action to take will be. All the preparation had begun to wear on Elrond's nerves and he had never been more thankful for his various advisors. Now that he had a rare moment of peace he intended to take full advantage of it.

Banishing all thoughts of the large stack of parchment gathering in layers on his desk, Elrond stretched out on a bench and looked up at the slowly darkening sky. "Lord Elrond?" A small voice carried through the still air of the garden.

With a heavy mental sigh Elrond sat up and waited for the page to find him.

"Hir-nin?"

"Here."

"Uh-" the messenger paused, "Lord Glorfindel sent me to find you."

Elrond raised a noble eyebrow. "And what does _Lord_ Glorfindel need?"

"What? Oh! He told me to find you and tell you that the diplomatic party from Lothlórien will be arriving within the hour."

Without a word of thanks or explanation Elrond _ran _toward his chambers. _How- no- why would they arrive in Imladris on such a short notice?_ Elrond's thoughts raced as fast as his legs could carry him. Almost missing the door to his room Elrond skidded to a halt in time for his momentum to carry him around the door and into his chambers.

Glorfindel was waiting for Elrond and had quickly chosen a regal, yet simple set of formal robes. As the slightly rumpled Elrond burst through the door Glorfindel was able to soften the fall as he and Elrond became better acquainted with the titled floor.

Nursing what wold most likely be a bruised rump in the morning, Glorfindel mustered his dignity and followed Elrond into the courtyard. The duo arrived moments before the company from Lothlórien rode into the yard. Even with a slightly tilted circlet and rumpled robe Elrond managed to look suitably prepared to receive the important emissaries from Lothlórien.

As Celeborn and Galadriel rode to the front of the company Elrond's grey eyes quickly calculated where the other elves would need to be housed for their stay. Gracing the lord and lady from Lothlórien with a formal bow Elrond strode forward and lent his arm to Galadriel as she began to dismount. "_Mae govannon, _my lady." Once Galadriel was safely on the ground Elrond turn his attention to Celeborn. "My lord," he said, accompanied with a shallow bow, "it is an honor to have you here. Welcome to Imladris."

"Thank you, Lord Elrond, for your hospitality," Celeborn said as he moved towards a young, silver-haired maiden. "I believe you remember my daughter, Celebrían?"

"Milady," Elrond inclined his head in her direction as he fought to control his facial expression. He had not been expecting Celeborn and Galadriel to bring their child with them. With a subtle nod to Glorfindel, Elrond lead the family from Lothlórien towards the Last Homely House, leaving Glorfindel to find accommodations for the remainder of the company. The arrival of the _whole_ family now made sense to Elrond, of course the females would have pressed Celeborn into arriving earlier than expected at such an indecent hour. With that mystery solved Elrond felt he could relax his mental guard.

The shadows had begun to lengthen as Celebrían nudged her mare closer to her parent's mounts. A sound slowly permeated Celebrían's consciousness as she became aware of the numerous waterfalls. Even in the dusky twilight Imladris was enchanting. As the Lothlórien Elves reached the courtyard of the Last Homely House Celebrían stifled a smirk as she observed the prestigious Lord Elrond. The crooked circlet and slightly wrinkled robes subtracted from the stern lines around his brow and mouth. This mixed message presented Celebrían with a sprinkling of hope that she would like to become better acquainted with the enigma that was Lord Elrond.

Pleasantries were exchanged and soon Lord Elrond was leading them towards the chambers they would occupy during their stay. Trying to obey the rules of etiquette Celebrían allowed her eyes to roam while holding her head still. The large halls and corridors were unlike anything Celebrían had ever seen. Tapestries, murals and sculptures lined the halls, depicting the wonder of the Elves.

Celebrían was vaguely aware of her parents exchanging news from Lothlórien with the master of Imladris, but Celebrían was more interested in taking in the sites. A soft touch on her arm brought her out of her revelry. "Lord Elrond asked you a question, Celebrían."

A pink blush spread across her cheeks as she fiddled with the material of her dress. "I apologize, Naneth."

"It isn't me to whom you owe the apology." A small battle of wills ensued as a flush of embarrassment crept up Celebrían's neck. Why was her mother treating her as if she was a mere efling?

Elrond observed the clash between mother and daughter. It hadn't been his intent to cause strife. "I realized that you have all just completed a long journey. Here are your chambers." He paused and lead them into a spacious room. "If you require anything please let the chamberlain know and it will be done."

"Thank you, Elrond," said Celeborn, "This has truly become a 'homely house.' Your generosity is bound to become legendary."

A smile ghosted Elrond's lips. "Thank you, my lord. I bid you goodnight. Ladies." With that the Lord of Imladris swiftly exited the room, gliding as if upon air. Once Elrond had gone out of sight of the family from Lothlórien he allowed his proper facade to fall. One very unlordly sigh later he arrived at his chambers and wondered what the upcoming weeks would have in store for him.

A/N: Yes, updates are few and far between, but I have no and will not abandon this story... fear not! I look forward to more critique from all of you. If anyone of you who are reading this have spare time and want to be my beta please let me know and I'll be in contact with you.


	4. Celebrations and Revelations

Disclaimer: I do not own Tolkien. I do not own these characters.

Chapter 3

Celebrían sighed as she sat down on the edge of the bed. At first glance Imladris seemed nice enough, but time would soon tell if appearances were everything. Her quarters were attached to those of her parents, but a small connecting door allowed privacy for both parties. As she briefly explored the room an elf dressed in the colors of Imladris carried in her luggage.

"Le hannon."

"It was my pleasure, my lady," the elf said as he gracefully exited the room. "Have a good evening and welcome to Imladris."

Celebrían graciously inclined her head as the door closed. Too excited to settle down, but too tired to unpack Celebrían set off to explore the rest of her chambers. A private bathing room with an inset pool was found within a small alcove. The thought of a hot bath and finally being clean brought a fleeting smile to her lips.

Not wishing to be interrupted Celebrían bid her parent's goodnight and proceeded to enjoy her bath and dream of things yet to come.

Elrond, free of his guests, stomped through the halls intent on finding Glorfindel. As his reflected shimmered in a mirror he sighed as he realized his circlet was tilted and his robes wrinkled. What must his guest think of him greeting them in such a state? With a heavy sigh he proceeded to trudge along to his destination. There would be no rest of the weary tonight.

"Elrond, please, try not to look so pleased with the world." The sarcastic reply was scarce off Glorfindel's tongue before Elrond had time to enter his office.

A frown and raised brow as the only response the blonde Balrog killer received.

"It is not as bad as you are making it out to be."

"I have yet to make it out to _be_ anything."

"Stop worrying and start planning. Now that your guests are here three days early you have preparations that need to be made."

"I realize this." What patience Elrond had possessed before being accosted was being reduced rapidly by the 'helpful' comments of his advisor. Gil-Galad was not scheduled to arrive for another three to four days, leaving Elrond completely in charge of Imladris.

As Glorfindel was beginning his retort a younger, dark hair elf entered the room bearing a stack of papers. "My lord," he bowed.

"Erestor," Elrond massaged his forehead, "you can address me as Elrond in private. I suppose those are all the supplies and schedules that I need to review for the next three days before the other delegations arrive?"

"Yes. I've alphabetized them and placed dates on each sheet so that you can-"

Elrond held up a hand to stop the over enthusiastic elf, "Thank you."

Glorfindel watched with a bemused smile as the recently promoted advisor explained each sheet of paper and received confirmation from Elrond. At a little over 1,200 years Erestor was still learning. Elrond had seen his potential and given him the responsibility of scribe; hoping to one day have a competent senchal for his household.

The days flew by as various elf-holdings arrived in Imladris. Celebrían had been given permission to roam freely during this time, learning the ins and outs of Imladris. Curiously, she had found herself disappointed that she had not had time to speak with Lord Elrond as the aforesaid was kept busy with various tasks.

Celebrían had been introduced to several elves, male and female, her own age, but had found – as was the case in Lothlórien – that they had little in common. Instead of seeking out companionship she frequently found herself in the library or gardens of Imladris.

Five nights after the arrival of the party from Lothlórien, a feast was held celebrating the arrival of the High King. Food and wine flowed forth as did merriment. Celebrían found herself seated near the head of the table with her parents. This was the first time that she was able to study some of the more important dignitaries from the other elvish nations.

Among those present was Celeborn's kinsman Oropher and his son Thranduil. Several hundred years younger than Celebrían Thranduil looked bored and uncomfortable as the adults at the table insisted on centering their conversations around politics. Celebrían gave her younger kinsman a sympathetic glance as she tried to concentrate on the plethora of information being thrown about.

As she glanced about the table she caught Lord Elrond's eye. A strange flutter tickled her stomach. She immediately dismissed it as having had a little more wine that usual. As the conversation continued she noticed that Elrond would occasionally glance her direction. Was there something on her face? Celebrían surreptitiously attempted to inspect her face and teeth in the reflective surface of the tableware.

"We cannot sit idle by Sauron continues to warp the beauty of this world," stated Oropher. "Something must be done."

"The three are powerful enough, they will continue to preserve things as they are," came the counter from Celeborn.

Gil-Galad frowned, "the three are power, my lord, but Oropher is also correct. We have a responsibility to Arda. The humans of the world are frail. Already reports are coming in that Sauron has corrupted nine kings of men and bent them to his will."

"The race of men is weak," said Elrond has he joined in the conversation. "They cannot be trusted to protect themselves or this world. Yet they have few dealings with the elves. If these reports of Sauron are true how long will it take before he conquerors the race of men and grows strong enough to challenge the elves? We are the firstborn and it is our duty to –"

"To what? Join with this race that you call weak? It would be better if we allowed dwarves in our ranks."

"My lord," Galadriel gave her husband a sharp look, "let us put aside past grievances and look towards the future. Although we elves have eternity how long can our power hold out against the world?"

As the discussion continued to flow Celebrían thought on the various points that had been made. Were humans weak? In her short existence she had never had the opportunity to interact with the second-born. Her father had told her stories of betrayal by both men and dwarves, yet if these races were unreliable why would the Vala have created them?

Dancing, singing and storytelling progressed as the feast was drawn to a conclusion. Unlike her peers Celebrían had no interest in dancing aside from the enjoyment of being in tune with the music. It was her duty as a diplomat to entertain several partners before receiving permission from her mother's all-seeing eye to escape.

After dancing Celebrían enjoyed the cool of the evening as she meandered through some of Imladris' gardens. The stars shimmered in the night sky as a puff of cloud dissipated. Her wandering feet came to a rest as she crossed over small bridge that spanned a bubbling brook. The sound of water, smell of flowers and cool touch of air temporary calmed her spirit. It was rare that Celebrían was able to find peace within herself.

Desultory thoughts tried to invade, but she pushed them away. Tonight was too nice to waste thinking about loneliness. Celebrían quietly hummed one of the slower Elvish ballads that had been playing throughout the evening. A tune that invoked melancholy thoughts along with the promise of hope. As she stared at the stars reflected by the water her sensitive hearing picked up the faint sound of footsteps. _No elf treads that loudly_, she pondered as she waited for whomever to come into view.

Her eyes widened at the sight of Lord Elrond determinedly walking her way, mumbling under his breath, "Of all the imbecilic ideas…" He looked up as she gasped. "My lady, Celebrian, forgive me for intruding, I…" he trailed off.

"No, Lord Elrond, forgive me I should have made myself known sooner." She felt a blush climb her cheeks.

A half-grin appeared on Elrond's face. "It appears we both made our escape from the party."

"It would seem that way."

"You'll forgive me if I confess to finding some of your peers rather… tiresome?"

"Oh, yes, I find them that way as well. I had to get out – you understand – I could not take one more dance with some young ellon batting his eyes at me!" Celebrian exclaimed, wincing at how that must have sounded.

For the first time in almost a week Elrond let forth a genuine laugh. "And here I thought I was the only one. Well, since we are both hiding would you mind accompanying me for a late evening stroll through the gardens?"

Celebrian bit back a grin as her stomach flittered against her ribs. "It would be my pleasure, Lord Elrond."

"Please, call me Elrond when we are in private. I find it tedious to always abide by strict protocol."

"You," she gently teased, "the master of the house?"

"I do my best," he mocked as he bowed and offered his arm. "How do you find Imladris?"

"Oh," she stopped to gather her thoughts. "I find it lovely. It feels so much more alive and fresh and the Golden Wood. I mean –" she paused, "not that Lothrien is dull, but it just does not feel like home."

"I understand." Elrond paused his stride and turned towards his companion. "Sometimes I feel as if there is more. Something that I am missing. As if life just is not enough."

"A void," Celebrian completed. "Like a dream that is slipping through your fingers. A thought that is just out of reach…"

"A heart's longing."

The two turned towards each other. It was the first time that either had confessed this longing to anyone. Somehow they both felt a natural inclination to trust. Souls bared to each other, grasping for something that was intangible. A spark of attraction flickered between Celebrian and Elrond, but neither felt compelled to act on it. Without needing to speak they agreed that there was time, time to become friends and if fate willed it something more. Nothing further needed to be said. They walked along, arm in arm, until other elves began to leave the festivities. They parted ways and said goodnight. Each hopeful in their own way.

A/N: Apologies for the extremely long time it has taken for me to update this story. I have not abandoned it I have just had other priorities. Thank you to all my previous reviews and reviewers in the future.


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